Midway through the third leg of the 4-by-400 relay Tuesday night, Mayde Creek’s Kaise White had enough confidence to save his kick against Alief Taylor’s Gannon Mack.

“I didn’t want to risk anything,” White said, meaning he didn’t want to use too much energy too soon.

As it turned out, his gamble made history.

White passed Mack with a few strides remaining in his leg, then Dijon Johnson ran a splendid fourth leg to win the relay in 3:21.17 and deliver the Rams their first District 18-5A boys track and field championship on a blustery evening at Cinco Ranch.

Mayde Creek, which entered the final race trailing Taylor by 3.5 points and needed to beat them to win the title, finished with 117 points to Taylor’s 112.5.

“We got it,” said Johnson, who won both hurdles races. “I felt old dude (Taylor’s Jamal McBride in the last leg) coming down on me but I knew I had it. I knew we had it won. … I’ve never felt like this in my life.”

Elsik’s girls won their second straight championship, scoring 154 points to ease past runner-up Cinco Ranch (132) and third-place Alief Taylor (95).

Collin Durham won the 3,200 (9:40.36), Justin Robertson the shot put (49-feet-.75) and Sheriff Thomas the high jump (6-4) for Mayde Creek, which had athletes finish in the top three in six events.

The top three placers in each event advanced to the regional meet, April 25 and 26 at Humble’s Turner Stadium.

Complete team and regional qualifier results are listed below.

Elsik’s girls won seven events to overcome a Cinco Ranch squad that thrives on depth.

Okwe Okolie won discus (140-0) and was in second in the shot put (37-11), De’Neysia Richards won the 300 hurdles (45.79), Alicia Perkins took the 100 hurdles (14.32) and the Rams won the 4-by-100 (46.78) and 4-by-200 (1:39.18) relays.

Richards also qualified for regionals in the 100 hurdles.

Elsik’s Angelica Kotun won the 100 (12.04) and Amber Evans the 200 (57.58).

“This has been our year,” said Okolie, a first-year thrower who started the year throwing about 125 feet in the discus. “Our relays have been a huge positive point and we’ve been real good at short distances. We’ve gotten better the whole year.”

Cinco Ranch hung close by dominating the distance races. Kelsey Miller won the 800 (2:16.26) and Alyse Goldsmith the 3,200 (11:30.84). The Cougars placed 2-3-4 in the 1,600 and 1-2-4 in the 3,200.

Alyson Pettit was second in the 100 hurdles (14.9) and third in the 300 hurdles (48.42).

Alief Taylor’s Morgan Pressley won three events – the triple jump (38-10), the long jump (18-1.5) and the 400 dash (57.58). She won the latter race by taking the lead in the last 40 meters.

“I’d just run the 4-by-100 and I was tired, but I saved my energy for (the last kick),” Pressley said. “I regained some strength and turned it on.”

Other regional qualifiers included Morton Ranch’s Joseph Irabor in the 200 and 400 and Jasmine Hawkins in the 400 and 800, Katy Taylor’s Austin Bussing in the 1,600 and 3,200, and Alief Taylor’s DeAndre Thompson in the triple jump, 400 and 800.
***
District 18-5A championships
at Cinco Ranch
(top three advance to regional tournament; results from Tuesday night’s finals only)

BOYS TEAM SCORES: Mayde Creek 117, Alief Taylor 112.5, Cinco Ranch 87, Elsik 74, Morton Ranch 64, Katy Taylor 60.5, Hastings 55, Katy 47.
100: 1. Byrd (K), 10.3; 2. Scott (E), 10.38; 3. 3. Mitchell (AT), 10.75.
200: 1. Montano (H), 22.93; 2. Gardner (CR), 23.2; 3. Irabor (MR), 23.51.
400: 1. Thompson (AT), 48.93; 2. Irabor (MR), 49.39; 3. Cooper (AT), 59.25.
800: 1. Flowers (CR), 1:58.38; 2. Thompson (AT), 1:58.88; 3. Stredny (CR), 2:00.52.
1,600: 1. Bussing (CR), 4:24.91; 2. Dermit (CR), 4:26.31; 3. Durham (MC), 4:26.78.
4-by-100 relay: 1. Alief Taylor, 42.51; 2. Elsik, 42.53; 3. Katy Taylor, 42.54.
4-by-200 relay: 1. Elsik, 1:28.64; 2. Alief Taylor, 1:29.06; 3. Morton Ranch, 1:29.64.
4-by-400 relay: 1. Mayde Creek, 3:21.17; 2. Hastings, 3:21.63; 3. Alief Taylor, 3:21.68.
110 hurdles: 1. Johnson (MC), 14.00; 2. Vese (E), 14.49; 3. Deochoa (MC), 14.7.
300 hurdles: 1. Johnson (MC), 38.88; 2. Metcalf (MR), 39.4; 3. Furlong (MR), 41.06.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES: Elsik 154, Cinco Ranch 132, Alief Taylor 95, Morton Ranch 70, Katy and Mayde Creek 47, Hastings 46, Katy Taylor 29.
100: 1. Kotun (E), 12.04; 2. Harris (KT), 12.07; 3. Washington (MC), 12.17.
200: 1. Evans (E), 25.48; 2. Idunoba (E), 26.00; 3. DanPrincewill (CR), 26.7.
400: 1. Pressley (AT), 57.58; 2. Odeh (H), 58.02; 3. Hawkins (MR), 58.87.
800: 1. Miller (CR), 2:16.26; 2. Hawkins (MR), 2:16.32; 3. Cetina (CR), 2:20.16.
1,600: 1. Balbontin (MC), 5:15.34; 2. Cetina (CR), 5:17.88; 3. Stone (CR), 5:17.89.
4-by-100 relay: 1. Elsik, 46.78; 2. Hastings, 48.7; 3. Alief Taylor, 50.00.
4-by-200 relay: 1. Elsik, 1:39.18; 2. Alief Taylor, 1:42.9; 3. Hastings, 1:44.76.
4-by-400 relay: 1. Morton Ranch, 3:58.5; 2. Alief Taylor, 3:59.4; 3. Elsik, 4:02.2.
100 hurdles: 1. Perkins (E), 14.32; 2. Pettit (CR), 14.9; 3. Richards (E), 15.05.
300 hurdles: 1. Richards (E), 45.79; 2. Mercer (K), 47.16; 3. Pettit (CR), 48.42.

Subscribe to this comment's feed